Rinconanda Water Treatment Plant - Los Gatos, CA - Wastewater Treatment Facilities on Waymarking.com

"As the second-largest of the district's plants, Rinconada can treat and deliver up to 80 million gallons of water each day for retailers who supply residential and commercial users in the west valley, including the cities of Santa Clara, Campbell, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View and Los Altos and the towns of Los Gatos and Los Altos Hills." (visit link)

What is the capacity of the facility?: 80 million Describe the biological treatment technology used.: "At our Rinconada Water Treatment Plant, we remove the suspended solids in large tanks called clarifiers, the largest feature at the plant. Each tank is approximately 20 feet deep and 117 feet square. We add special chemicals--such as aluminum sulfate--to the water that enters the clarifier. These chemicals, called coagulants, cause the solid particles to clump together. This process is called flocculation. Eventually, the clumps form a "sludge blanket." The solid clumps are far heavier than the water, so the blanket sinks to the bottom. As it does, the blanket works like a finely-meshed net to catch other smaller particles. The water at the top of the tank, now free of solids, overflows to the gutter-like spokes you see radiating from the center of the tanks in the picture above. Rakes slowly rotate along the bottom of the clarifier. They scrape the settled sludge at the bottom of the tank into the center where it is removed periodically through pipes that run under the clarifiers. Starting in the spring of 2006, new ozone systems will be in place at Penitencia and Santa Teresa water treatment plants. Ozone is a powerful disinfectant, minimizes harmful disinfection byproducts and removes unpleasant odors and tastes." How are biosolids (sludge) managed?: The mud cake is scraped off the belt and drops onto a conveyor and deposited in an outside holding area where it is periodically hauled off to a landfill. What technology is used for disinfection prior to dicharge of treated water?: chloramine Who is the owner/operator fo the facility?: SCVWD What is the website of the WWTP?: [Web Link] How is the facility governed?: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please post at least 2 original photographs of the site. We would much rather see photos of the plant itself as opposed to the front office, but we also understand that security and site layout may limit your opportunities.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   07/18/2016 CalCo visited it